Tech Gadgets You've Lived Too Long Without

You probably have your own set way of doing things. And if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But what if you found out there were things that could, well, make life a bit easier? 

Having a few *cough, cough...all* of these gadgets in your home will help you out in small ways. Not to mention they’re fun to play with and pretty easy to use. The future is here.

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A smart power strip that brings voice control to different devices…

So you can power things remotely (like your coffee maker, bedside lamp, and room fan), without having to get up. When you download the phone app, you’ll also be able to see how much power each device is using. Alexa, make me a cup of coffee. ($79.99, Amazon)

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A UV sanitizer that can also charge your phone…

Be gone, icky germs. This box can fit your phone, wallet, and keys. The UV light will run for three minutes to kill bacteria. Once it’s done, you can rest your phone on top for wireless charging. Boom. ($70, Uncommon Goods)

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A water and climate sensor to prevent home accidents…

This little device can detect water and changes in temperature. It’s best for basements, near pipes, and in high-humidity areas. If something leaks (or there’s a spike in temp), an alert will be sent to your phone. Goodbye, burst frozen pipes. ($29.99, Kangaroo)

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A Bluetooth shower speaker so you can belt your heart out…

While shampooing, duh. No more leaving your phone out on the sink at max volume. This speaker is 100% waterproof. And can suction to the shower wall. So you can adjust volume and skip songs with just the touch of a button. ($34.99, Amazon)

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A Fire TV stick so you can get access to a ton of shows and movies…

Just plug the stick into the back of your TV and you’ll be able to watch thousands of channels and apps. Like Netflix, Prime Video, and HBO. You’ll be able to watch live sports, too. Oh, and you can connect to Alexa to browse via voice. No more panicking when you lose track of the remote. ($39.99, Amazon)

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And a Fire TV stick remote attachment to make things a bit easier…

With this, you’ll be able to control your entire entertainment system (sound bar included) via a single remote. Aka, you won’t need two or three TV remotes to switch inputs, turn things on, and control volume. We’re talking 100% streamlined for user ease. ($24.99, Amazon)

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A portable wireless charging bank to keep your phone juiced…

Throw this in your bag for wire-free charging while on-the-go. When the power bank needs to be recharged, it won’t need to be plugged into the wall, either. You can toss it on a wireless pad. TLDR – charging with no wires, no matter where you are. ($75, Courant)

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A Roomba vacuum that’ll do the work for you…

Hello, minimal effort. Just press ‘clean’ and let the robot vacuum get to work. The sensors will help it maneuver around furniture to pick up dirt. It’ll run a full 90 minutes before docking and recharging. ($249.99, iRobot)

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A car charger with five USB ports so the entire family can plug their phones in…

End the feud - let everyone charge at once. Plus, two of the five ports are fast chargers. So they’ll juice up devices in half the time a wall charger would take. Are we there yet? ($15.97, The Grommet)

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A pair of wireless earbuds for Zoom calls or morning workouts…

They’re sweat-proof, too. And can work as a single bud or as a pair. You’ll get five hours of playing time before needing to pop them back in the case. And without wires, you won’t have to be connected to your laptop to hop on a call. ($32.28, Amazon)

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A massage gun that can help relieve sore muscles…

Like a deep tissue massage, without the masseuse. It’ll vibrate the muscle to release tension and increase blood flow. The gun has three speeds and comes with four attachments to help you target specific areas. Relief is on the way. ($89.99, Amazon)

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A doorbell camera and chime so you can see who’s knocking…

When motion is detected, a photo will be sent to your phone so you can see who is visiting. When the doorbell is pressed, a chime will ring inside the house. No more peeking through the window upstairs. Now you’ll know when your package has (finally) arrived. ($19.99, Kangaroo)

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A rechargeable lighter for candles, stoves, and fireplaces…

So you don’t have to play with matches to get a flame going. This lighter can ignite without the use of butane. To recharge, just plug it in via a USB port. ($30, Anthropologie)

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A Bluetooth keyboard and wireless mouse so you can work anywhere…

Designed to be compatible with Apple devices, this keyboard and wireless mouse will make your WFH setup way more comfortable. You’ll get silent typing and effortless scrolling. And when you’re not working, both devices will go into sleep mode to save battery. ($29.99+, Logitech)

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An electric wine opener that can also vacuum seal bottles…

Upgrade your happy hour with this opener that can uncork 80 bottles in a single charge. And no – it won’t break corks in the process. If you don’t finish your bottle, just use the vacuum sealer option to preserve freshness and flavor. Cheers to that. ($40.94, Wayfair)

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A camera lens set that’ll transform your photography skills…

This set of two includes a macro and wide-angle lens. Each one will clip directly over your phone’s current camera (compatible with iPhone, Samsung, and Google Pixel). Your Instagram never looked so good. ($39.99, Amazon)

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PS: These are editorially selected, but if you purchase, theSkimm may get something in return. 

PPS: If something’s out of stock, oops, it was there when we published. Thanks.

Skimm'd by Alexandra Napoli, Jessica Kelly